Experiencing Jesus Together Through Lentنموونە

Day 6:

Scripture: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV

A Call To: Draw Near As the men walked out after Bible Study, I noticed that one guy was seated in the corner, his eyes fixed on the floor. When I asked what was going on, he quietly said, "I have an addiction problem with my computer. My wife has no idea that I've battled this for over ten years." Hebrews 2 declares that because of the death of Jesus, we have been set free and are not "held in slavery." That day in a locker room, the question hung in the air. If we are no longer slaves to sin, then why a decade of defeat?

To answer the question, we began by talking about the mercy of Jesus. Hebrews 2 describes him as our "merciful and faithful high priest," which means that our sin doesn't change His love for us. Hebrews 2 also declares that "He is able to help those who are being tempted." But how does he help us? As we talked, a question formed in my mind. "In light of this, would you say that your Christian life has become about sin management?" The answer was immediate. "Yes. When I manage to stay pure for a few weeks, I feel good about my faith walk. When I stumble and fall, I feel like I'm far away from God. It's all I can think about."

We talked and prayed, and then I suggested something radically different. "Here is your assignment. For the next several months, I want you to stop focusing on sin, and instead focus on Jesus. Delight in Him. Sing to Him!" Several months later, I was in another locker room when suddenly I saw him, and as he walked across the room, I could see the light in his eyes. He whispered, "It worked! I'm free!"

Reflection:  Has your walk with Jesus become a life of sin management, or do you still delight in the Lord? How does worshipping Jesus help you when temptation knocks on your door? 

Prayer:  Jesus forgive me for allowing my walk with You to drift into sin management. Forgive me for treasuring my sin instead of treasuring You.